He sighed, setting it down. The toad hopped away with a disgruntled croak, seeking shelter on a nearby lily pad. The water rippled around him at the impact.
“I’ve always wanted to be a toad,” Thom said.
“But I thought you were a proud prince, destined for magical greatness.” I squinted and tilted my head. “Although I suppose I can see it…”
He rolled his eyes. “Enough of that. Let’s start the lesson.” His gaze caught on the end of my engagement ribbon, which fluttered about in the breeze.
“How’s David?”
I almost choked. “How do you know his name?”
“I’m a prince.”
“Is that your answer for everything?” I looked to Caleb for assistance, but he refused to meet my eyes. I crossed my arms. “Caleb, have you been inquiring after me?”
“I must obey the prince, my lady,” Caleb said.
I whirled around to Thom. “You don’t trust me to know my own magic. Now you don’t trust me to marry the right person? You don’t even know me.”
“I know you.” His voice was firm, certain. My fury only grew.
“How could a prince like you truly know a servant, anyway? What have you got against David? Or the rest of us commoners?”
He rubbed his neck. “Don’t leap to conclusions, Lyranore.”
“You’ve been spying on me.”
“I wanted to know if he was a good man.”
My breath halted in my chest.
“I needed to ensure you were well taken care of,” he added softly.
“Why do you care?” I asked. “I’m just a peasant in your eyes.”
He winced. “Just because you’re a commoner doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”
“You do?” I asked drily.
“I do.”
My fist, clenched so tightly before, relaxed under the weight of his gaze. His intriguing, inscrutable, confounding gaze. I had never wanted to dissect it as much as I did in this moment, with it boring into me, the air between us thick with more than the humidity.
“I do care,” he repeated. “I care that you have a good, safe marriage.”
My heart cracked, and with it, my churning waves of emotions sank into a steady tide.
“And it seems,” he said, “that this David can provide that for you.”
I bit my tongue, disappointment rearing its head, although I wasn’t sure why. Had I wanted him to be jealous? Believed he had been all this time?
I was engaged. And, apparently, incredibly foolish.
“Thanks, I suppose.”
“You’re welcome.”
We stared at one another for a beat, the air full of words unsaid.
